wide receiver to Niners

The Texans lost a premier pass rusher via free agency. They hope they found a replacement Thursday.

Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus went to the Texans with the No. 26 pick in the first round of the NFL draft, a pass-rush specialist selected to step in for another quarterback killer, Mario Williams, who signed with the Bills in the offseason.

"The thing is, that's a great player, that's big shoes to fill," Mercilus said. "It's a matter of working really hard and proving my worth. From day one, I want to be able to prove to them that they spent their money well on me."

Mercilus landing in the first round was no shocker. Illini receiver A.J. Jenkins joining him was. Jenkins went to the 49ers with the No. 30 overall pick of the first round after grading out, via some analysts, as a borderline second- or third-round selection.

Apparently Jenkins' in-person visit with the 49ers made a lasting impression.

"We had a good time," Jenkins said. "I thought it was perfect fit, to be honest. I didn't think the phone call was going to come so soon. I'm just honored and blessed to be in this position. Wow. It's crazy."

It marked the first time that two Illini were selected in the first round since Kevin Hardy and Simeon Rice in 1996, and it made it five first-round picks for Illinois in the last five years, the most in the Big Ten.

The 6-3, 261-pound Mercilus was a consensus first-team All-American and the winner of the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's top defensive end after leading the nation and the Big Ten in sacks (16), sacks per game (1.23) and forced fumbles (nine).

Mercilus also totaled 57 tackles, 221/2 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, one pass break-up and one fumble recovery in 2011, leaving the Illini after his junior year for the draft.

"I got nervous when I fell below slot 19 with the Bears," Mercilus said. "I got a little nervous, thinking where am I going to land at, hoping I don't drop out of the first round.

"I didn't think I would drop that far, but when I got picked up by the Texans it made me really, really happy."

Jenkins, meanwhile, was a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist after amassing 90 catches for 1,276 yards and eight touchdowns in 2011, but he was not deemed first-round material by some of the draftniks.

ESPN rated Jenkins the seventh-best available wide receiver and the No. 62 prospect overall. He was in the bathroom when the 49ers called and presumed that, when the phone rang, someone was playing a joke. It was no laughing matter.

"I got the phone and it said 'San Jose,' and I said, 'Oh, my God,' " Jenkins said. "It was just amazing. I'm at a loss for words right now. It's a dream come true."